Salmon season starts slow in Half moon Bay

Commercial salmon season takes off slowly in Half Moon Bay due to the rising price3s of fuel and bad weather.

A highly anticipated salmon season in Half Moon Bay has started slowly as conditions and cost of fuel deter commercial fishermen from going out and catching salmon. But it is expected that the season could pick up very soon. It’s been three days since Half Moon Bay’s commercial fishermen greeted their first real salmon season in three years.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has officially announced the season from May 1st open. The council has adopted a set of ocean salmon seasons last month that provides both recreational and commercial opportunities coastwide. Yet the catch for sport and commercial fishermen has been spotty. A fisherman said that the weather has been wonderful but the fishing is not good.

Captain of the Genesis, Larry Andre, said he hasn’t heard of anyone really catching much over the past few days. Andre, who fishes for Dungeness crab and albacore, will resume his place among the fleet of salmon trollers this year, but because of the conditions. Indeed, the weather has been nice, but the conditions out at sea are not so favorable.

Generally speaking, as the season progresses many times the salmon moves closer to the shore. It really depends on the water temperature because they like 55 degree water. Another consideration for commercial salmon fishermen this early on in the season is that it’s still crab fishing season so “you need to be smart and watch it especially in choppy conditions or it can cost you a whole lot of money if the weather comes up and when it’s hard to spot lost crab pots, your gear can get tangled up into those.

Source: halfmoonbay.patch.com"

WorldFishingToday d. 04-05-2011